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B. 1952, GA, USA. D. To Be Determined. Beloved husband, father, grandfather, lover, confidant and friend of many from bikers to Zen masters; American writer and speaker, known for his criticism of Mammon's unholy trinity of big business, big government and big religion; served the least of them professionally as psychologist and voluntarily as activist for decades; loved to shoot basketball, billiards and the bull; lived free, died game. (memorial sketch by davidhewsonart.com)
Tuesday, December 9, 2008 Become a Secret Shopper for Burma
Similar to how "Blood Diamonds" fueled civil war in Sierra Leone and other African countries, the sale of Burmese "Blood Rubies" helps Burma's military regime finance their atrocities against Burma's ethnic minorities and their violent suppression of peaceful Monks and democracy activists.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008 Censure Michele Bachmann (2 comments)
Sign the online petition to tell Congress to censure Rep. Bachmann for her radical comments.
Monday, September 29, 2008 Dispatches from the Religious Left (1 comments)
"What the Religious Left is doing isn't working!" writes the Rev. Dan Schultz.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008 U.S. should go on diet of its own, India says
If Americans were to slim down to even the middle-class weight in India, "many hungry people in sub-Saharan Africa would find food on their plates," Mehta said. The money Americans spend on liposuction to get rid of their excess fat could be funneled to famine victims instead, he added.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008 "Curious" shirt choice (2 comments)
A Georgia tavern owner has been selling T-shirts showing the cartoon monkey [Curious George] happily eating a banana with the words "Obama in '08" written underneath.
Thursday, May 1, 2008 Bloggers Blame Clinton Supporter for Destructive Rev. Wright Speech
Following Rev. Jeremiah Wright's incendiary speech at the National Press Club Monday, the blogosphere is buzzing with accusations that a long-time supporter of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, set up the appearance to embarrass Sen. Barack Obama.
Friday, April 18, 2008 Ongoing nomination fight hurting Clinton more than Obama (1 comments)
n a dramatic reversal, an Associated Press-Yahoo! News poll found that a clear majority of Democratic voters now say Sen. Barack Obama has a better chance of defeating Republican Sen. John McCain in November than Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Thursday, April 17, 2008 Republicans no longer underdogs in Presidential Race
Republicans are no longer underdogs in the race for the White House. To pull that off, John McCain has attracted disgruntled GOP voters, independents and even some moderate Democrats who shunned his party last fall.
Friday, April 4, 2008 Some Superdelegates More Super Than Rest
One delegate, one vote doesn't apply to them. These prominent Democrats can name additional superdelegates, giving them control over multiple convention votes, and that could be the difference in a race that may not be decided until the August convention.
Monday, March 31, 2008 Is God silenced on college campuses? (2 comments)
It's not just trendy Eastern or New Age religions to which students are gravitating. Christianity is holding its own, too, in part because many campus Christians are showing a different side of their religion than the one that has lent irresistible fodder to comedians and given it a bad reputation in some quarters.
Monday, March 31, 2008 Text of Letter from Rev. Wright to the New York Times regarding Obama
Out of a two-hour conversation with you about Barack's spiritual journey
and my protesting to you that I had not shaped him nor formed him, that I
had not mentored him or made him the man he was, even though I would
love to take that credit, you did not print any of that.
Saturday, March 29, 2008 Black-brown divide saps political clout
Two years ago, hundreds of thousands of people peacefully took to the streets in dozens of U.S. cities to rally for immigration rights. Yet this Latino civil rights movement - complete with the Spanish version of We Shall Overcome - has done little to close the divide between browns and blacks. In fact, this year's Democratic presidential race has underscored their major differences.
Saturday, March 29, 2008 Wright's sermons fueled by complex mix of culture, religion
On the Sunday in 2003 when Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. shouted "God damn America" from the pulpit of Trinity United Church of Christ, he defined damnation as God's way of holding humanity accountable for its actions.
Saturday, March 29, 2008 The Pagan Rage of Rev. Wright (7 comments)
Read how the Easter bunny, George Bush, Rev. Wright and global warming are all part of a liberal pagan conspiracy to outlaw Christianity.
Saturday, March 29, 2008 Monk-Led Protests Show Buddhist Activism
But political activism and occasional eruptions of violence have become increasingly common in Asia's Buddhist societies as they variously struggle against foreign domination, oppressive regimes, social injustice and environmental destruction.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008 Study reports more global warming evidence
U.S. researchers have used satellite imagery to determine a large part of the Antarctic ice shelf is disintegrating as result of climate change.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008 Why Ron Paul Scares the GOP - TIME (1 comments)
There used to be an organization for people who believed in a truly limited government - limited taxes, limited spending, limited interference in individual lives and limited intervention in foreign affairs. That organization was known as the Republican Party. But the only one of those beliefs that still motivates the G.O.P. establishment is limited taxes.
Sunday, March 23, 2008 Clueless Guys Can't Read Women (1 comments)
More often than not, guys interpret even friendly cues, such as a subtle smile from a gal, as a sexual come-on, and a new study discovers why: Guys are clueless.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008 GOP sees Rev. Wright as pathway to victory (1 comments)
The inflammatory sermons by Obama's pastor could offer the GOP a road to victory, insiders believe.
Monday, March 10, 2008 See the Inequality of Income in America
View this graph to see the dramatically growing inequality of income disparity between the rich and the middle class and poor since 1980.
Thursday, March 6, 2008 Obama speech to denomination spurs IRS investigation of UCC
A speech that Barack Obama made last year to his fellow Congregationalists has spurred an Internal Revenue Service investigation that threatens the tax-exempt status of an entire denomination.
Thursday, March 6, 2008 Chaplin at VA Hospital: Muslims and Buddhists can get out of chapel (1 comments)
"[I]f anyone in the audience was a Muslim, a Buddhist or believed in the Dalai Lama, that they could get out of the chapel . . ." a Christian chaplain at the Fayetteville, NC Veteran's Administration Hospital on September 11, 2007
Wednesday, January 23, 2008 Web Site Assembles U.S. Prewar Claims - New York Times
Students of how the Bush administration led the nation into the Iraq war can now go online to browse a comprehensive database of top officials' statements before the invasion, connecting the dots between hundreds of claims, mostly discredited since then, linking Saddam Hussein to Al Qaeda or warning that he possessed forbidden weapons.
Friday, December 7, 2007 BBC NEWS | '31 killed' during Burma protests
Burma's military authorities killed at least 31 people during the suppression of pro-democracy protests earlier this year, a UN human rights envoy has said.
Saturday, December 1, 2007 The Swamp: Hagel: Bush White House 'arrogant, incompetent\'
"You know, I think of this administration, what they could have done after 9/11, what was within their grasp,'' Hagel said. "Every poll in the world showed 90 percent of the world for us. Iran had some of the first spontaneous demonstrations on the streets of Tehran supporting America. They squandered a tremendous amount of opportunity."
Sunday, November 25, 2007 Minorities hit hardest by U.S. housing crisis
Study after study show that minorities are more likely than whites to get subprime mortgages, which are high-cost loans made to people with poor credit.
Saturday, November 24, 2007 Facebook | 100,000 by 12/18/07 to Fight Media Consolidation
We need your help to stop the FCC from implementing a rule change that would amount to the most egregious act of media consolidation since the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Stand up for access to diverse sources of information. Contact the FCC and your Senators today to voice your opposition to further consolidation of American media.
Friday, October 12, 2007 Turkish ire may affect Iraq war | csmonitor.com
Two obsessions in Turkey may appear unrelated a recent surge in Kurdish militant attacks and the mass killing of Armenians nearly a century ago but they are swiftly combining as a strategic tipping point in US-Turkey relations that could affect American forces in Iraq.
Thursday, October 11, 2007 A Muslim Letter to Christians - Newsweek Beliefs
Getting religious leaders to agree on anything is notoriously difficult. So this morning's announcement-that 138 of the world's most powerful Muslim clerics, scholars and intellectuals from all branches of Islam (Sunni and Shia, Salafi and Sufi, liberal and conservative) had come together to write a letter to the world's Christian leaders-is being hailed as something of a miracle.
Saturday, October 6, 2007 ScienceDaily: Majority Of Americans Want Local Action On Global Warming, Says Poll
According to the survey, 74 percent of Americans would support local regulations requiring all newly constructed homes to be more energy efficient, even if it would increase the initial cost of a new home by roughly $7,500.
Saturday, October 6, 2007 Limbaugh's "Phony Soldiers" Slur
The controversy over what Rush Limbaugh meant when he uttered the phrase "phony soldiers" last week isn't just another broadcast sideshow. As the political power of conservatism declines, the symbolic authority of figures such as Limbaugh is likewise shrinking.
Saturday, October 6, 2007 Mitt Romney: He's Never Met A Position He Didn't Take (1 comments)
"As a result of our discussions and other interactions with gay and lesbian voters across the state, I am more convinced than ever before that as we seek to establish full equality for America's gay and lesbian citizens, I will provide more effective leadership than my opponent [Ted Kennedy]." Mitt Romney
Thursday, October 4, 2007 Secessionists Meeting in Tennessee (2 comments)
In an unlikely marriage of desire to secede from the United States, two advocacy groups from opposite political traditions - New England and the South - are sitting down to talk.
Monday, October 1, 2007 BBC NEWS | Burmese monks 'to be sent away'
Thousands of monks detained in Burma's main city of Rangoon will be sent to prisons in the far north of the country, sources have told the BBC.
Sunday, September 30, 2007 Contractor numbers outstrip US troops in Iraq
"[These numbers] illustrate better than anything that we went in without enough troops. This is not the coalition of the willing. It's the coalition of the billing," said Peter Singer, a Brookings Institution scholar who has written on military contracting.
Sunday, September 30, 2007 Private 'Rambos' in Iraq warrant greater scrutiny - USA Today
Until now, it's as if the Bush administration and Congress have averted their eyes as the role of private contractors has exploded to the point that the U.S. military can't function without them in Iraq.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007 Protesting monks defy orders of Myanmar military
Buddhist monks, students and other activists ignored the threats of the Myanmar military and staged another round of anti-government protests in cities across the southeast Asian country on Tuesday.
Monday, September 24, 2007 Ahmadinejad Questions 9/11, Holocaust
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad questioned the official version of the Sept. 11 attacks and defended the right to cast doubt on the Holocaust in a tense appearance Monday at Columbia University, whose president accused the hard-line leader of behaving like "a petty and cruel dictator."
Monday, September 24, 2007 ScienceDaily: Racism's Cognitive Toll: Subtle Discrimination Is More Taxing On The Brain
Old-fashioned racism--a "No Negroes Allowed" sign, for example--is hateful and hurtful, but it's not vague or confusing. It doesn't require much cognitive work to get it. But if you're the most qualified candidate for a job, and know it, and still don't get the job for some undisclosed reason--that demands some processing.
Monday, September 24, 2007 Who Won the Democrats' On-line Debate?
But in Yahoo's Democratic Candidate Mashup - the first "online only" debate - it was the viewers who made the call, just like they would in a real election.
Monday, September 24, 2007 RFA: Tens of Thousands Protest Against Burmese Junta
Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters, led by columns of Buddhist monks and nuns, have marched through Burma's former capital, Rangoon, chanting pleas for national reconciliation in the largest protest in a decade.
Monday, September 24, 2007 Bush shown to be anything but fiscally conservative
Once again, we have a Republican president who has presided over exorbitant deficits claiming to be a fiscal conservative while politically railing against the spendthrift Democrats.
Sunday, September 23, 2007 20,000 join Burma's 'saffron revolution' - Times Online
Twenty thousand people, including nuns, monks and ordinary Burmese, marched through the streets of Rangoon today, demanding freedom for the Nobel Laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, in a dramatic escalation of the country's Buddhist-led "saffron revolution".
Saturday, September 22, 2007 The Associated Press: Black and White Becomes Gray in La. Town
"There is, however, a more nuanced rendition of events - one that can be found in court testimony, in interviews with teachers, officials and students at Jena High, and in public statements from a U.S. attorney who reviewed the case for possible federal intervention."
Saturday, September 22, 2007 "Is Terrorism a Mortal Threat?" asks Pat Buchanan (3 comments)
"Terrorism, said Colin Powell, is not a mortal threat to America." Even conservative Pat Buchanan agrees that Bush's war on terrorism is hype.
Saturday, September 22, 2007 Iraq: Blackwater Fired Unprovoked | Guardian Unlimited (2 comments)
Iraqi investigators have a videotape that shows Blackwater USA guards opened fire against civilians without provocation in an incident last week in which 11 people died, a senior Iraqi official said Saturday.
Saturday, September 22, 2007 Faithfully Liberal - Manifest Destiny, the American Empire, and Jesus (1 comments)
"We have taken Jesus and made him the empire's patron. Indeed, whenever we merge our Christian identity with our American identity and proclaim this to be a Christian nation, we make Jesus the foundation of empire."
Friday, September 21, 2007 Obama, Jackson and Jena - The Opinionator - New York Times Blog
"He's wrong about Obama, who has condemned what happened in Jena. But Jackson's right about this: Why aren't we all more outraged about what's going on down there? And why aren't we hearing more about Jena, and less about O.J.?"
Friday, September 21, 2007 BBC NEWS | Burma monks issue defiant message
Leaders of protests by Buddhist monks in Burma say they intend to continue their peaceful demonstrations until the military government collapses.
Thursday, September 20, 2007 How Dare You - TIME (2 comments)
"You would not have thought that the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly would be so sensitive. Sticks and stones and so on. Yet they all seem to have taken one look at that ad and fainted dead away."
Thursday, September 20, 2007 Clinton, Dodd vote no on condemning MoveOn ad (1 comments)
n the latest round of maneuvers over last week's MoveOn.org ad attacking Gen. David Petraeus, Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chris Dodd today voted against a Senate resolution that condemned the ad and supported Petraeus. Sens. Barack Obama and Joe Biden, two other Democrats running for president, did not vote on the measure.
Thursday, September 20, 2007 Al Qaeda urges attacks on Darfur force, talks questioned
Al Qaeda urged Sudanese Muslims on Thursday to fight African Union and United Nations peacekeeping troops in Darfur as rebels cast doubt on whether peace talks to pave the way for the force could succeed.
Thursday, September 20, 2007 German politician wants law to allow 7-year itch
"The basic approach is wrong ... many marriages last just because people believe they are safe," she told reporters. "My suggestion is that marriages expire after seven years."
Tuesday, September 18, 2007 What if our mercenaries turn on us? (2 comments)
Despotic movements need paramilitary forces that operate outside the law, forces that sow fear among potential opponents, and are capable of physically silencing those branded by their leaders as traitors. And in the wrong hands, a Blackwater could well become that force.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007 God and the Constitution
Yet, 220 years later, an astonishing 55% of respondents to a poll released last week said they believe the Constitution "establishes a Christian nation."
Tuesday, September 18, 2007 State Senator 'Sues' God
A Nebraska state senator is "suing" God, claiming that the Almighty has made "terroristic threats" against him and his constituents, inspired fear and caused "widespread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth's inhabitants."
Saturday, September 15, 2007 Truth Wins Out Says: No, You Can't Pray Away the Gay - Associated Content
Truth Wins Out, a non-profit organization that counters right wing propaganda, sent out a warning to news organizations on Thursday that they need to remain incredulous about a biased "ex-gay" fraudulent study that would be released by right wing therapists in Nashville later that day.
Saturday, September 15, 2007 Republicans in danger of losing US 'God vote' - Telegraph (2 comments)
For nearly three decades the Republican party has built its election victories in the United States on the power of the Christian Right. But now it is facing the prospect of a "God void" by selecting a presidential candidate who is not a churchgoer.
Thursday, September 13, 2007 Eating Less Meat May Slow Climate Change (2 comments)
Eating less meat could help slow global warming by reducing the number of livestock and thereby decreasing the amount of methane flatulence from the animals, scientists said on Thursday.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007 Upbeat assessment buys Bush some time on Iraq (2 comments)
The upbeat assessment Monday on the state of the war in Iraq by Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker appeared to provide President Bush with the breathing space he needs to forestall major congressional defections from his war policy.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007 Leftist rebels say they bombed Mexico pipelines | Reuters
The upbeat assessment Monday on the state of the war in Iraq by Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker appeared to provide President Bush with the breathing space he needs to forestall major congressional defections from his war policy.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007 World Carfree Network - World Carfree Day
Every September 22, people from around the world get together in the streets, intersections, and neighbourhood blocks to remind the world that we don't have to accept our car-dominated society.
Monday, September 10, 2007 Bin Laden's black beard baffles U.S. intelligence (1 comments)
"We don't know if it's dyed and trimmed, or real, but that's one of the things we are looking at," Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell told a Senate committee hearing.
Monday, September 10, 2007 Say it with feeling, Dems | Seattle Times Newspaper
Philosopher David Hume had it right: Reason is the slave to the passions, not the other way around. Recognizing the primacy of passion in everything we do has profound implications for politics. Reason is the middle manager in decision-making, not the CEO. Policies are nothing but the frontmen for values. You listen to the middleman's "pitch," but you go straight to the top when it's time to choose. You go, in other words, to
Monday, September 10, 2007 AFP: Homo politicus: brain function of liberals, conservatives differs
The brain neurons of liberals and conservatives fire differently when confronted with tough choices, suggesting that some political divides may be hard-wired, according a study released Sunday.
Sunday, September 9, 2007 Playing good cop, brimstone cop with the Georgia GOP | Political Insider
Rather than reluctantly choosing Giuliani or Thompson, he predicts we'll see the GOP's Christian base lining up behind Romney. "The Mormons - say what you will about them - are political allies of the Religious Right," he said.
Friday, September 7, 2007 Americans United: Roy Moore In Exile
Moore has not retreated from his advocacy of a society ordered by his version of biblical law. Instead, he is using his forced retirement from public office and his infamy to fuel a crusade aimed at spreading misinformation about church-state separation.
Friday, September 7, 2007 Articles Of Faith: Media's portrayal of religion skews to the right
To be sure, religion is a mixed bag and has plenty to answer for. But that's not the whole story. For millions of Americans faith and religion are powerful sources of decency and courage, justice and generosity in their lives and in our society. Yet this rich American tradition is being put at risk by stereotyping and broad-brush hostility.
Friday, September 7, 2007 Islam, Democracy and Turkey - Acton Institute PowerBlog
Today, the biggest problem in the Muslim world is the absence of liberal democracy. Unfortunately, with the exception of Turkey, there is no true democratic rule in the Muslim world at the present time. Most Muslim countries are ruled by militarist dictatorships, kings, monarchs and totalitarian regimes. Under these anti-democratic and illiberal regimes, Muslim people have no opportunity to participate in the political life of
Friday, September 7, 2007 Talk To Action | Book Bannings and Burnings in America
Yes, book burnings sometimes happen in America. Far more often, there are efforts to ban books from school and public libraries by various groups trying to suppress access to ideas of which they do not approve -- from Harry Potter to Huckleberry Finn.
Friday, September 7, 2007 BBC NEWS | Investigating PNG's dark Aids secret
A woman who says she found that people with HIV/Aids were being buried alive in a remote part of Papua New Guinea has told the BBC about her discovery.
Friday, September 7, 2007 Faith In Public Life: Pew poll shows that voters value candidates' faith (1 comments)
Overall views of the presidential candidates are linked with views of their religiosity; those who perceive a candidate as being very religious tend to express the most favorable overall views of each candidate, followed by those who perceive the candidate as being somewhat religious. Those who view candidates as being not too or not at all religious, on the other hand, are much less likely to express favorable views.
Friday, September 7, 2007 Bin Laden raises two ways to end Iraq war (1 comments)
"It has now become clear to you and the entire world the impotence of the democratic system and how it plays with the interests of the peoples and their blood by sacrificing soldiers and populations to achieve the interests of the major corporations," bin Laden said.
Friday, September 7, 2007 Rabbi presses Jews, Muslims to ease strife -- chicagotribune.com
"It is ... our collective task to strengthen and inspire one another as we fight the fanatics and work to promote the values of justice and love that are common to both our faiths," Rabbi Eric Yoffie.
Thursday, September 6, 2007 New survey suggests religion may not help '08 candidates
A new survey of voters' attitudes toward presidential candidates shows that being perceived as highly religious may not help the 2008 hopefuls very much.
Thursday, September 6, 2007 Action Alert: Urgent: Prayer surge for peace from Jim Wallis | CrossLeft
As people of faith, we believe in the power of prayer to soften the hardest of hearts and open the way to peace and reconciliation. So, as General Petraeus testifies, we're planning to match his surge with one of our own20,000 prayers for Congress to bring an end to this war.
